The Ana Hidalgo Series
by Catheryne
Summary: Leo fell in love in 1942, and it was not with Lillian. Now the past is hounding his present with Piper.
1. In Love and War

In Love and War

In Love and War

Hundreds of thousands of young men and women perished in what will a few years later be known to the world as the greatest armed conflict in the history of mankind—the Second World War. Starting as a battle between democracy and totalitarianism, World War II went beyond the West and traveled to center its conflict in the Pacific, the ocean of peace. For years the skies of Asia would be lighted by fire, the air constantly pierced with sirens and the rich and fertile land was colored by blood.

This is the story of the young man who joined the war to save lives, only to learn too late that in exchange, his was forfeit.   


2000

"You really don't want to tell me about them?"

Leo tightened his embrace on Piper. "I told you, they don't matter. Besides, they're much too complicated and bothersome."

"I wish you'd tell me someday."

"I have my reasons, Piper."

"You know the only reasons a man doesn't talk about the past to his woman if he committed a crime and if there was another woman," Phoebe warned while standing on the door.

"Aww, Phoebe, those aren't the only reasons."

"Is that true, Leo? Was there another woman? I already know about Lillian."

"No, Piper, there definitely was no other woman."    


28th November 1941 (Countdown: 10 days before World War 2)

The young woman adjusted her coat as she hurried out of the church. Her feet moved rapidly and her eyes were glued to the muddy ground, vainly trying to skirt away from the puddles that the early evening drizzle had formed.

"Umph!" She stumbled backward after colliding with the hard wall. Her eyes rose and met apologetic hazel ones. So it was no brick wall. It was one of those young officers that General McArthur had brought with him from America several months ago.

"_Lo siento, senorita_," he murmured.

"It's all right. There was no harm done."

The hazel eyes smiled at her. No, the lips did. But she wasn't sure. It was the eyes she was looking at. "English." She began walking away. "You speak English."

It was late, and she didn't speak with strangers. For some reason though, she halted and looked back at him. "Everyone does. It's the medium America introduced. Why would you think I didn't?"

"I heard you speaking to the padre in Spanish."

"It's our informal language," she explained. "We speak it at home, and to our confessors."

"_Aristocrata_," whispered one of his companions.

The soldier who bumped into her moved closer. "It's dangerous to walk in the streets alone, especially at night. I'll see you home."

"I've been walking the streets of Manila alone since I was a child. There is no safer place on earth."

The soldier shook his head. "No longer. Can't you feel the tension in the air? It's time you began taking precautions."   
The girl smiled. "But I see no Japanese soldiers lurking. I am safe enough tonight. Please don't bother."

"I insist. I would be derelict in my duties if I didn't." His companions had moved on. She was left with no one but this American soldier who had outstretched his hand. "As a civilian, you are my responsibility."

"Soldier, I am no man's responsibility."

"Please. My name is Leo Wyatt. And though I am glad you consider yourself your own woman, you are still under your father's guidance, if not your husband's."

"Soldier," she stressed. She had no intention of calling him by name. "If you insist on seeing me home, you had better start moving. I am only a couple of blocks away and you have taken a large amount of my time with your senseless babble. Now you may follow me home." 

Leo was tempted to chuckle, because the words were ill-suited to her. Her entire appearance was that of a timid young woman who would not have had the will to blow out a candle out of pity to the flame. They walked down the street and a few houses later, she stopped before a huge Colonial. "You may leave now."

"No. I'll stay until I see that you've stepped in." He stood by the shadows as she silently tried to sneak into the house.

"Ana? _Eso eres tu_, Ana Maria?" 

He saw her cringe. "_Si, mama!_"

"_Donde fue usted?_"

"_Fui a la iglesia, mama_."

"_Fue solo?_"

"_Si_."

"_Su hermano irá con usted._"

"_O no no, mama. Ah pero había alguien con mí._ He can protect me too! Ahhh…Leo! Leo!"

Leo grinned. So she didn't want her brother going with her to the chapel. She needed him now. She was right where he wanted. He straightened his uniform and stepped away from the darkness to walk forward. "_Buenas noches, senora. Complací deberé reunir una dama fina. Me llamo_ Leo Wyatt."

"Good evening, sir," her mother smiled. "And I am pleased to meet a fine man such as yourself. Thank you for seeing Ana Maria home. She worries me when she goes off at night, but she insists."

"_No preocupare_. I will take care of her. _Yo no la permitiré fuera de mi vista_."

"_Gracias!_ I hope it will not be a bother to you. Come in, come in to the sala. _Usted es siempre bienvenida a viene aquí_."

"No! Mama!" Ana whispered, as the three walked to the living room.

"I'm sorry, senora. My Espanol is shady at best. I did not quite catch that last one." Of course he did, Ana thought, as they all sat down on the couch. He just wanted to rub it in.

"Oh, I apologize, _hijo_. I said you are welcome to come here anytime."

"Thank you, senora. I'm sure I'll be coming here a lot from now on, especially since I'll be escorting Ana Maria to church every night."

"Well then I'll be sure to keep a place set on the mesa for you." A petite girl brought in a tray of warm milk. "_Gracias_, Prudencia. You may tell the others that they may sleep already. Ana and I will lock up. So, hijo, you are part of el General McArthur's troops?"

"Yes, senora. The one that arrived last July."

"Oh you brave young men!"

"We are also fighting for our country in this war, senora. And I did not participate in this war to take lives. I am a medic, here to prevent as much death as I can."

"Well that is an honorable endeavor, Senor Wyatt. And I am very glad Ana found you. At last, an acceptable young man. She's always been a magnet to irresponsible rakes. And she seems to look at herself as quite the modern young woman."

"Mama!" she complained, "I'm still here."

"And," her mother said, standing up, "I am going up. I'll leave you two here to say your goodnights. Hija, if your father suddenly telephones from the convention, you may wake me." To Leo, she explains, "I'm sure she did not tell you, Senor Wyatt, but my husband, Claro Hidalgo, works with the USAFFE."

"That's outstanding, senora. I'm sure I'll make his acquaintance someday soon."   
Senora Hidalgo nodded to him and left the room.

"Thank you very much for covering for me. You really don't have to take me to church every night or even show up again. I'll just tell them you're busy."

"Ana, I am assigned in Intramuros for the moment. Your father will know everything about me. And I'm just thinking that he will exert the effort to find out when your mother tells him about me being your church escort." He chuckled. 

"Why are you laughing?" 

"I cannot believe I just said that. That is the most respectable thing I've ever said in my entire life." He stands up. 

"Goodnight. We do have curfew."

"Goodnight, Senor Wyatt."

"Leo."

"Be thankful I'm not calling you soldier anymore!"

"I'll be here seven tomorrow."

"Dinner's at six, Senor Wyatt. Please be on time," she reminded him sharply.

"Yes, maam." He gave her a mock salute. "Promptly." He noted the number of the locks on the door before he left. 

She closed the door and Leo waited at the other side and listened.

Click. Snap. Click. Click. He nodded to himself. Four locks in place. He walked away.

2000

"No, Piper. There wasn't anyone."

"I knew that." She kissed his cheek. "I'm glad you're not getting called today."

Leo pulled her to him. Her head lay on his chest and he kissed the top of her head. At least no one you should be thinking of, he thought to himself.   


6th December 1941 (Countdown: 2 days before the eruption of World War 2)

"I still cannot understand why you insist on attending weekday mass at night, Ana," he said, as they walked from the church. His hand was on the small of her back. Over the last week, they have grown closer from their everyday encounters.

"And I told you then, I tell you now. If you're bothered, then let me be. The night is beautiful. There is no better time to receive the Word."

"That's not possible, Ana. You can't get rid of me."

She remained silent. The scent wafted down the street. "Christmas is in the air. I can't wait. Leo! Look!" She pointed to a sorry looking stall at the sidewalk and pulled him towards it. 

"What is that?" he asked, looking at the sticky-looking violet clumps.

"It's puto bumbong, a delicacy we only have during Christmas. Manang (old lady)," she addressed the vendor. "Isn't it a little early? We usually don't see puto bumbong until the start of misa de gallo (masses held at dawn from December 16 to 25). Give us two, manang. We'll eat them here." She pulled him down to sit at the bench. The vendor handed them the clumps with a brownish looking powder on the square of the banana leaf.

Leo stared at the violet food. How was he supposed to eat it, he wondered. He looked at Ana, who looked as though she was thoroughly enjoying it. She rolled the puto bumbong in the powder and held it to her mouth using the banana leaf. She smiled at him and waited. He ate as she did and found that it was inexplicably delicious, melting in the mouth and leaving a pleasant after taste. Within seconds he consumed the delicacy.

"More?" she asked, amused. He nodded. By the time they left, his pocket was lighter by a few pesos and his stomach heavier by a couple of pounds. "Leo."

He looked at her and was filled once more with the overwhelming warmth he did when he first slammed into her in this very street. He couldn't understand it. He looked into those bottomless black eyes fringed with black, black lashes and he knew he had never loved like that before. And he probably never will again.

She was still smiling as she reached into her pocket for her fragrant white handkerchief. "Sugar on your lips," she whispered, raising the white cloth to wipe it away. He caught her hand and merely flicked his tongue to remove it.    
Then he let her wipe the side of his mouth. She stared at him, breathless in the middle of the street.

She suddenly seemed to snap out of it. "Please come early tomorrow, Leo. We'll attend the morning mass."

"Why?"

"It's the Feast of the Immaculate Conception. Mama would come with us too."

"I'll be there."   


7th December 1941 9 AM (Countdown: 17 ½ hours before the eruption of World War 2)

"O hijo, you must take lunch with us. You've been so kind the past days, keeping Ana company." Senora Hidalgo waves at a group of women standing by the door of the church. "Hola, amigas!" She turns to Leo. "Well I have to go and speak with some friends. I'll see the two of you in the house as twelve."

"Si, mama."

"What would you like to do before then?"

"Come. Show me where you work."

"This is where I work. We roam around the city, rescuing young women from the evils of darkness," he joked.

"You know what I mean, Leo. Take me to the garrison."

He shook his head. "Fort Santiago is no place for you."

"I've been to the garrison countless times before, Leo. I just want to go there with you."

He looked down at her face. "I'll hire a calesa (horse carriage. Note: Until today, horse carriages ferry people about the old city of Intramuros, Manila)."

"No! I'd rather walk."

"Are you sure? It's rather far."

"It's not. Anyway, we need to talk." They walk in silence for a while. A few minutes later, she begins pointing to several monuments and edifices. "That is the Palacio el Governador General. And see that? That's where—" She went on and on, babbling pointlessly. He nodded, as though interested. He was only waiting for her to get to her real point. He'd understood her so completely in the time he'd known her.

On the dot she turned to him. "See here, Leo Wyatt, I didn't ask you to walk with me to give you a tour of my city."

"You didn't?" he asked innocently.

"No. I was—I was curious. I wanted—will you show me a picture of your wife?" He did not expect such a turn. Silently he pulled out his wallet and drew out the snapshot of Lillian. She took it. "She's beautiful. What a beautiful hair."

"Yours is lovely," he said. "I prefer dark hair."

"Tell me about her again," she quietly requested. They were already on the bridge leading to Fort Santiago. They stopped there and he lifted her up to seat her up on the thick cement railing.

He knew the drill. They'd been repeating this for the last few days. "She was a childhood sweetheart. I joined the war and we did not know what else to do. We're young and foolish. We got married. We thought it was the only way to keep out love strong." He shook his head.

"Do you love her very very much?"

It was the first time she asked that. She always left off after asking him to tell her how they got married. He decided it was time he made it clear. It was time to give her what she deserved. "Yes, Ana, I love Lillian." She looked away. Gently, he hooked a finger under her chin and forced her to look back at him. "But the love I feel for her can never compare to what I feel for you. My soul reaches out to you. Even I can't understand it."

She jumps off to stand before him and pulls him down for a kiss, right there at the top of the bridge, with the look-outs at the wall of Fort Santiago looking down at them. "I love you so much. I'll give you anything, Leo," she swears breathlessly. "I don't care that you married her. As long as I know you love me, I'll give it all to you."

"No," he firmly declines. "I can't do that to you. I know the kind of person you are. That's why I love you."

"There's no way for us to be together?" She was desperate. It was the first time she fell in love, and she fell hard. "Why did you find me too late?!"

"I'll find a way," he assured her. "After the war I'll divorce Lillian. She'll understand. She's more like a friend to me.    
She will be happy for us, Ana. In the meantime I want you to keep yourself safe so that when I return, you'll be waiting for me right there in Santo Agustin. I can think of no other place to marry you but in the church where I found you."   
  
They stood there, in each other's embrace, and dreamed of the future.

2000

"Leo, let me go for a minute," she said, pulling away from his embrace. "I need to take a shower. I have work."

He watched her climb up the stairs. How will she react about Ana, he wondered. She accepted Lillian, because she knew Lillian was a part of that other life. That she was still foremost in his heart when compared to Lillian. But what would she think of my Ana Maria? What would she think of the young girl I loved with all my being? How would she see this young girl whom until now I cannot forget—whom until now I ache to see, and hold, and to love again?   


8th December 1941 (an hour and a half after the bombing of Pearl Harbor and war was declared)

Leo has been assigned to patrol the area surrounding Fort Santiago. The morning paper boy passes by him in a green bicycle. "Extra! Extra! War on the Pacific declared! Extra! Extra!"

Leo hailed the boy. The boy caught the coin he tossed and threw him the rolled newspaper. It was the Herald. Leo stood under the streetlamp and glanced through the cover story. He rolls the paper again and rushes into the fort. Leo walks hurriedly to his commander's office and raps on the door.

"Sir, it's official."

The offices rubbed his eyes. He had been sleeping on his desk, waiting for the call from Hawaii that never came. "What did it take?"

"The Japanese have bombed Pearl Harbor. More than a hundred of our men killed."

"What? Give me that." Leo hands him the paper. "Damn it. That's why they weren't able to reply. The bastards killed our men. So since 2:30 this morning, we've been part of the war."

Leo nodded. "Roosevelt took the bait. We're in this deep now, sir."

"Yes. We'll be in full alert from now on. Wake the men."

"May I ask permission to leave the grounds while you relay the news, sir? I already know, and there is someone I need to speak with."

The officer nodded. "As soon as you wake them, you may go to the Hidalgos. Tell the senora they are to take special care. Senor Hidalgo is still with the president."

Leo sounds the bell and the troops wearily but eagerly line up to listen to Major Richards. Leo leaves and runs to inner Intramuros. He knocks on the Hidalgo home. Nobody answered. He knocked again. A long while later the door opened.

"Senor Wyatt, it is too early."

Leo nodded to the maid. "I know, Prudencia. But I must see Ana. Hurry."

Leo stood at the sala when Ana arrived, still in her nightgown. Prudencia handed her a robe. "Leo?" She smiled at him. "What are you doing here at this hour?"

"Come with me to the azotea (veranda)." He hands her his coat. She looked foolish in the thin robe and the coat, but he never noticed. "Ana, the Philippines is now officially at war with Japan."

Ana stared blankly at him, and then looked down at the street. "But nothing's changed, Leo."

"It doesn't work like that. They would need a day, two at most, to prepare. And I want you to be careful. As much as possible, don't leave the house. When—when the air raids begin—"

"The air raids?"

"Japanese planes will eventually fly above Manila and the provinces to shower you with bombs. A wailing siren will be heard. As soon as you hear that, run to the nearest bomb shelter. We haven't made enough yet. But there is one in the church grounds. It's only a short distance from here. I want you to run there, because that's where I'll look for you."

"Yes. Yes, I understand."

He nodded, and kissed the top of her head. "Go back to sleep," he commanded gently. "I have to return to Fort Santiago."

"I'm scared."

"I'll be here when you need me."

"Be careful. I love you."

He kisses her softly on the lips. "I love you, Ana."   


9th December 1941

The loud rapping on Leo's door woke him up. He got up and shrugged on a shirt. He couldn't sleep clothed in the Philippines. It was too hot for him, even in December. He wasn't used to it, although he could see that the people already wore sweaters.   
  
"Sir, this young lady wishes to speak with you."

"Ana! Thank you, corporal." The young soldier leaves. "Why are you here?"

A tear falls down her eye. She runs to him and pushes him into the room. She closes the door. "The Japanese have started air raids in the south. My father is in Legazpi!"

"Don't worry, Ana. Your father is with the best army soldiers there are. He'll be safe. But I told you not to leave your house. We never know when the raids will begin, and there is no fixed shelter from here to San Agustin. I'll have the corporal escort you home. I would but—"

"You have a job. I understand."

The young soldier eagerly agrees to take her back to the town proper. About ten minutes later, Leo's heart stopped at the wailing sirens. They've finally arrived. Explosions soon rip the air apart. Ana! Leo runs to the gate, but the guards stop him. "You can't go out while there's an air raid, sergeant."

After the bombing, the medics rushed out to survey the damage and treat the wounded. Leo ran blindly in the direction of San Agustin. Leo sees the wounded lying in the street. His mind told him to perform his duty. His heart urged him to look for Ana. He reluctantly kneels down beside an injured man and stop the bleeding on his forehead. His heart was madly thumping. She must be safe.

After cleaning and bandaging the wound, Leo looked up. Ana stood beside him, with a bandaged forearm. Leo draws her to him.

"It's just a scratch," she reassures him.

12th December 1941

Ana walks into the sala to find Leo sitting on the couch. "Leo, I'm happy to see you again." He had been busy since the first air raid, and they have not seen each other since.

"Ana, it's about your father."

Her smiled immediately faded. "What about him? He's in Legazpi surrounded by the best men."

"Ana, he was executed with two of the secretary-generals."

She didn't say anything. He stands up and draws her to the couch, where he let her weep on his shirt while holding her close.

24th December 1941

Leo arrives for noche buena (Christmas Eve feast) carrying his army duffel bag. Ana approaches him immediately. "Come. It's almost Christmas. Welcome it with me. What's this?"

"Ana, President Quezon is no longer safe here in Manila. I've been assigned to go with him to Corregidor."

The servants gathered to go to their formation. They've been practicing hard for tonight. Ana did not say a word. They began their rendition of Silent Night. "_Noche de paz, noche de amor. Todo duerme en derredor. Todo los astros se esparcen su luz. Brilla anunciado el Nino Jesus. Brilla anunciado su luz…_" In the middle of the song, air raid sirens wailed, but no one moved. Everyone was scared, but noone wanted to break the solemnity of their celebration. Leo tightened his hold on Ana as each explosion ripped the night air. The noise stopped, and Leo was thankful that no bomb fell on the house.

He prepared to leave. "_No te vayas_, Leo."

"I have to, Ana. You know I have to go."

"_Que me puedes olvidan_," she said, crying.

"I will never forget you. How could you think that?" Leo wiped the tears away. "_Por favor, no llores, paloma _(Please don't cry, darling.) _Te volvere_ (I will be back)."

"Swear?"

"Swear."   


26th December

Leo learns that Manila is being declared an open city. He demands that it not be.

"Sergeant we have no choice. It's either we surrender the city to them now or hold it but have it destroyed in our hands."

"We can hold Manila and keep the Japanese away, lieutenant."

"No, sergeant, we can't. This is not an escort. This is a retreat. We can no longer hold our own. So learn to love this place. This is our last stand."

Leo surveyed the rich island. He prayed that this will not be the last sight he sees.   


2000

Leo shrugs off his shirt to put on a new one. He wasn't letting Piper go off to the club alone. He looked for the hairbrush on Piper's dresser, but it wasn't there. He knocked on Phoebe's door, asking to borrow hers.

"Oh, come in. It's right there on the drawer."

Leo brushes his hair. "This is Piper's, Pheebs." He turns to look at the pictures scattered on her bed.

"Like them? They're for contemporary history. Cool pics huh? World War 2. Ooops. Sorry."

Leo took one. "Hey, can I have this? It's beautiful."

"Oh sure, sure. I'm sorry for that, Leo. I know you have bad memories of the war."

"It's fine, Phoebe," he assured her.

Phoebe watches him walk out of the room. She checks which picture he took. It wasn't those of military leaders or of battle scenes. She compared the pictures on the bed to her list. Maybe he did find it pretty. Leo took a picture of an old church in Intramuros, Manila called San Agustin.   


29th December 1941

The radio blared loudly in the Hidalgo home. It was the taped message of Franklin Delano Roosevelt. "I give to the people of the Philippines my solemn pledge that their freedom will be redeemed and their independence established and protected."

10th January 1942

Leo opened the leather-bound book he had brought with him and wrote down. "It's raining bombs and grenades out here. I cannot remember anymore how many soldiers I have treated. Since their first attacks yesterday, I've treated young men who are begging to be sent home. But I am only thankful now. The more firepower they unload on us, the more sure I am that they are no longer hitting Manila. At least Ana is safe."

"Sergeant Wyatt!"

"Here, private!" 

The young man bounded up to him. "You have a letter from the last batch of mail we were able to take from Manila."

Leo tore open the envelope after seeing that it was from Ana. "30th December 1941," he read. "My love, The Japanese have yet to come. There has been nothing bad that happened since you left. I am eagerly awaiting your arrival so that we may be together again."

"Private? Has the Japanese entered?"

"They arrived in Manila last week, sir."   


20 February 1942

Leo sat under the tree and scribbled. _Today President Quezon fled to the US. I pray he'll arrive safely and this war will soon be over. I long to hold Ana close to me._ He draws out the tattered photograph. "How can it possible to know someone for three months but feel this intense connection I feel with you?"   


11th March 1942

_ General McArthur has left us to General Wainwright. My president assigned him out of the USAFFE and to Australia. I am beginning to wonder, do we still matter? The food is almost gone, and their promise of reinforcements never arrived. We are losing hope._   


17th March 1942

_There's been much rejoicing here at camp. General Wainwright told the men of General McArthur's message when he arrived in Australia. 'He shall return.' Again, more empty promises. But they seem to work though. I see a lively spring to the steps of the people around here. Yes, they're spirits are up, but it still remains that we've been forgotten in an island in the Pacific, surrounded by the enemy. If we don't die by their bullets, we'll surely die of starvation. America, why have you forsaken us?_   


3rd April 1942

The full fury of the Japanese attack began. The soldiers scampered to take cover. When their side was hit, Leo and the other medics would rush in, braving the gunfire to pull the fallen soldier to safety, treating his wounds as best they could.

Everything was falling all around them, Leo knew. He squinted at the sky and saw one of the Japanese planes zooming in. All he could think of was that he'd never danced with Ana before. "I want to dance with Ana," he whispered.   


2000

Leo watches Piper while she's talking to the band. She wanted to know, but Leo was aware that as long as he cannot reassure her that his feelings for Ana were past, and that he didn't think of her anymore, his confession would only hurt her. And he wasn't ready to say he didn't love Ana, even if it were only to appease Piper.   


9th April 1942 (The Fall of Bataan. The Fall of the Philippines)

The fighting raged on. Leo breathed in the air that smelled of gunpowder and blood. His own hair was matted with sweat and dirt. His shirt was dusty and bloody from a hundred men's blood.

"Private, duck!" he yelled at a brown-haired young man. It was too late though. Japanese bullet ripped across his forehead. "Dammit!" Leo saw the Jap scamper away, and he ran to the young soldier.

"Private! Private, can you hear me? Stay awake." He tore through his bag for some clean gauze and antiseptic." The private didn't stir. Leo worked maniacally cleaning the wound.

"Sergeant, he's dead."

"He's still breathing!"

"He's as good as dead, sergeant! Leave him. The Japs have pointed the bomber at us!"

Leo refused to move. There was some mother waiting home for this kid. There was some remembered sweetheart weeping silently every night. His eyes blocked out everything but the wound. He snapped out of his blind treatment when he felt that sharp, searing pain at the back of his head. And then he heard a deafening explosion.   


2000

The band is playing and the people were screaming and dancing on the floor. Piper laughed at one of her customer's comments. She saw Leo sitting at the bar, looking grim. She sighed.

"Leo. Is this about our talk? If you don't want to tell me, you don't have to. As long as I love you and you love me in this life." He didn't respond. "Come on, Leo. Dance with me." 

The music was slow now, and they wrapped their arms around each other and swayed together. Leo closed his eyes. He now had this love, who he has had over and over in other lives. Why then did that one stray heart still remain, haunting him?

And where did you go, Ana? He wanted to apologize to her, perhaps show himself to her in her dreams, say sorry for not fulfilling his promise.

Why were you no longer there when I came to see you? Why was the house so dark and empty? Who are you, and where can I find you now?   


10th April 1942

Ana stood in front of the church, debating on what to do. Slowly, she forced her legs to move forward. Her hand dipped into the shell that held the holy water, and she made the sign of the cross in front of the altar. She made her way down the aisle. Her heart was bleeding, but she showed no outward sign of emotion. 

Heads turned as she made her way to the front pew, where she knelt and closed her eyes. Minutes later, she sat on the wooden chair. She heard them whispering about her, how strong she was. Father lost to the Japanese. Mother lost to the Japanese. She took them all without weeping.

The priest stood in front of the people. "Today we celebrate mass to honor those who died in the Battle of Bataan yesterday." The priest went on to say the names. One by one, from all corners of the church, a family would burst out crying as a son or a husband's name is called.

Ana was silent. The priest's list was long, and one thought repeated itself over and over in her mind. "The bastards…the damn bastards…killed them all…"

"Kyle Wallace, Joseph Walsh, Leo Wyatt…"

Her head snapped up and she abruptly flung her arms wide. The entire church froze. With trembling steps she walked to the priest and looked at the list. There. They all lauded her for her stoic acceptance of her many tragedies. In front of the frozen audience, she crumpled to the church floor, rocking herself back and forth, "Why?" She raised herself on weak arms and stood up, walking back down the aisle of San Agustin church, where he promised to marry her after the war.   


2000

"Who are you, Ana?" he wondered, dancing with Piper.


	2. Somewhere Down The Road of Time

Leo Piper Fan Fiction Somewhere Down the Road of Time   


2000 

She was running down a dark street—strange, unknown, yet oddly familiar. How she knew this she had no idea, for the buildings passed by in a blur as she ran, and ran, and ran. She could hear her heart pounding. How near your ears is your heart, anyway? Why was she deafened by that thundering beat? Won't someone help? She ran and ran, as far and fast as her legs could carry her. How much farther? What from? All she knew was that she had to run. Where was she even going? The space before her was dark and alien, but she still ran. 

"Piper." 

She was running. Her heart was due to explode from exertion any moment now. Her hair, fragrant with a scent so haunting for no reason known to her, whipped against her face, covering her eyes. 

"Piper!" 

Why can't I stop? She could feel the muscles of her calves tightening, and a panic overcame her. She gasped for breath. 

"Wake up!" 

She sat up from the bed and gasped for breath. She blindly reached for support, and was comforted by warn hands rubbing her cold arms. A glass of water kissed her lips, and she took it and thankfully drank from it. Someone was holding the hair from her face, and she slowly opened her eyes to meet two pairs of curious, concerned ones. 

"Again?" She nodded. "It's the third time tonight." 

She felt a strange tingling feeling at the tips of her fingers, spreading, crawling to her hands and arms. She felt lightheaded. As if still in the throes of a dream, she slowly held up her hands. 

"What's happening?" she asked calmly, unsure if she was seeing rightly or if she was imagining it. 

Her sisters gasped. "Piper…" 

"Am I—" 

Phoebe tried to touch her hand, and her own passed through thin air. Piper's hand blurred and then dimly began to clear again. A little while later it was as though nothing happened. 

"Were you vanishing just there?" 

"Yes. Yes, Phoebe, I think I was."   


Leo stood at the ancient church, breathing in the fresh sampaguita and ylang-ylang. Nothing really changed here. Bless the historical societies that preserve monuments and buildings. He looked around. A couple of devotees were praying before the image of the Virgin. A young woman knelt in the confessional. What was up with the open confessionals? In his day, those were closed, heavily curtained wooden booths. There were still some of those. Maybe they're experimenting. 

Leo walked to the second pew to the front and sat down. He felt the fine wood beneath his hand. It was still smooth and polished the way it was before. He looked up at the image of Christ. Very slowly, he knelt on the cushioned pad and bowed his head. He had never felt this peace in fifty eight long years. 

Long moments later he walked out of the church. He tread those steps that he had replayed over and over in his mind those long decades. He stopped before the huge Colonial and looked up. 

"I'm still missing you," he whispered. 

Leo stood in the middle of the street for a long time, just staring up at the house. That window was her room's. It was probably nothing like the way it used to look fifty eight years ago. 

"Senor? Senor Wyatt." Leo turned around at the sound of that trembling voice. It was an old woman being escorted by a young man, probably her grandson. "It is I, Prudencia." 

"Inang, inang, come on. My apologies, sir. My grandmother's sight is weak." 

"No, no. It is Senor Wyatt." Leo couldn't look at the Hidalgos' eighty year old maid. Not while there were people milling about. He merely nodded at her grandson, who led her away. 

About half an hour later he entered her small room. "I knew it was you. I knew you'd come back. Unfortunately, the senorita was unable to wait." 

"Prudencia—" 

She held up a gnarled hand. "Please, senor. I don't care that you appear after almost three score years looking not a day older than you were when you left us that Christmas Eve. I gather there are things in the universe that are best hidden." She paused and motioned for him to sit down. "I know why you came. You want to find out about the senorita." 

Leo heard that ringing in his ears. It wasn't the elders calling. Faintly he heard traces of Prue's and Phoebe's voices. The distance made it impossible for him to hear clearly why they were calling him. 

"The senorita—" 

He stood up. "I have to go. I'll be back." 

At the manor, Prue and Phoebe were wearing the carpet thin by their pacing. "Leo!" 

"I don't think he's hearing us. He doesn't usually take this long. It's been ten minutes. Leo!" 

"Leo, there's something wrong with Piper." 

"Help us, Leo!" 

Leo materialized at a corner of the room. "What's wrong now?" he snapped. 

Phoebe was taken aback. "We need your help." 

"With your enemies again? I am supposed to be your messenger, your guide. Not your instant answer vessel." 

"It's Piper, Leo. There's something wrong with Piper." 

His demeanor instantly changed. "Where is she?" 

The three ran upstairs and into Piper's room. Carefully, Prue wakes her up. Leo knelt by her side, taking her hand. He was surprised to see it fade right on his. His eyes snapped back to her face. The color was coming on and off.   
"Leo, I'm scared," she whispered. "I'm vanishing." 

"Shhh. How do you feel?" 

"I don't feel a thing! It's as if I'm floating in a vacuum." 

Leo stood up and pressed his lips against her forehead. "I'll check with them. They must know something about this." 

Leo orbs into the Elders' Council room. "We feel your emotions from a distance, Leo. Something's bothering you." 

"Show me how to make it right." 

"Are you sure?" 

Leo was impatient. "What do you mean am I sure? Of course I am." 

"If we send you off to resolve the problem, you will not be able to return until you have." 

"I'll do anything to fix this." 

"All right." The elders nodded to a whitelighter who stood by the sidelines. The whitelighter raised up his hand until it lit with a green glow. He drew a circle on the floor. "The answer is in there, Leo. Remember, you cannot return until you've found a solution." 

Leo looked down at the gaping hole that seemed to have no bottom. He would do anything for her. Taking a deep breath, he jumped in, free falling for an eternity. 

At the manor, Phoebe watches in horror as Piper stops fading. She would have rejoiced except that as her body returned to its normal appearance, her breathing slowed and got shallower. "Prue! Prue!" 

Prue runs into the room. "Piper. Is she all right now? Did Leo do it?" 

Phoebe frantically shakes her head. "Piper. Piper, can you hear me? Wake up, Piper!" Phoebe grabs Piper's shoulders. "Dammit, Piper, you're making me nervous!" She lifted her to a sitting position. "Come on, honey," she begged. "Open your eyes." Piper's head rolled down to fall against Phoebe's arm. "Leo!" she screamed. "Leo! Get your whitelighter's butt down here. Please!" 

"He's not coming." Prue puts her hand above Piper's mouth. She felt the faint breath against her palm and sighs in relief. At least she was still alive. "We can't let Piper go through this alone." 

"What are you talking about?" 

"We have to go to her subconscious and wake her up. Quick, Phoebe. Before we lose her, make a spell." 

"Uhhh…Take us where you'll take her, be it land or sea or air. Let the power of three forever, be not distant from the other." She felt Prue looking at her strangely. "What? You were rushing me! Hold Piper's hand, Prue!" 

They felt the slight wind blow into the room. It was a weird feeling, Phoebe thought, as she felt her consciousness floating with it, away from her body. The last thing she remembered was falling…   


His whole body ached. Gingerly he stretched his arms and lifted himself up. He looked around. He was standing in a dark corridor that he could swear he'd seen before. He heard footsteps and he immediately hid in the darkness. Prudencia was carrying an oil lantern. 

He was stunned. He was back in the past, probably at that point right after his death. After all, from the looks of things, Manila was in a blackout. The Japs probably took out the power. 

Piper! She was in some sort of trouble. He had to be there. He tried orbing to the Manor but he failed. And then it hit him. The Elders took him here where he had an unfinished business. And he won't be able to return until he'd resolved it here. He hoped Prue and Phoebe can handle what was happening to Piper, because he was stuck here until he sees Ana. 

Ana. It may be selfish of him when Piper had some mysterious malady. Still, this was the chance to see her, to finally know where his heart lay. Sure, he loved Piper for countless lifetimes. But this was that one time, that wonderful and fantastic crease on the record. He had to figure out a way to let his emotions rest so his future with Piper would be secure. 

Prue, Piper and Phoebe found themselves standing in an unfamiliar room. They saw a girl sitting with her cheek against the windowsill. "Why are we here?" 

"Where's here? And who's she? She's so pretty but so sad." Piper looks at the girl staring sightlessly off at space. A tear trickles down her cheek, but she doesn't move or speak. They walk towards the girl, sure now that they were invisible to her. The girl suddenly stands up and reaches blindly for a small bottle on the shelf. It falls and rolls to Phoebe's foot. Phoebe automatically reaches down and is caught in a premonition. 

"Phoebe. Are you ok?" The girl walks in front of Phoebe and they hold their breaths. But the girl only reached down to pick the bottle up, not giving any sign that she felt their presence. "It's all right. She's looking too deeply inside that she's not feeling much from the outside world," Prue assured them. 

"I think I know why Piper was sent here. She has to help the girl. I had a premonition of her death. She's going to die sometime soon if it's 1942." 

Prue shakes her head. "No, Phoebe. Fate is fate. I don't think we're here to change the past. If she's going to die, then she should. We can't meddle with history." 

They see black orbs forming behind the girl. Prue's eyes widen as a darklighter materializes and begins whispering at her ear. She opens the bottle with trembling hands. "Then again, maybe we'd better meddle with the meddlers!" She sends the darklighter out the open window. Phoebe runs to look but can't find him. "I guess she's your mission then, Pipe. I don't understand it, but the darklighters are after her. She'd probably be a whitelighter or something." 

"Why me? Whitelighters are supposed to guide their own. This is a weird vice versa if that's true. I'm a witch looking after a whitelighter." 

Phoebe walks over to a small cabinet and rifles over the drawer's contents. She took out one black and white photograph and cannot believe what she was seeing. 

A blue light appears at the other end of the room. Leo looked magnificent in his army uniform. His entire body glowed with a yellow light. Piper caught her breath. She suddenly remembered Lillian's description of Leo when he visited her. "Leo, I'm so happy you're here." She started to move forward but Prue caught her arm. She looked questioningly at her sister, and Prue shook her head. From their vantage, they could clearly see what was happening. Leo has not seen them yet. He was looking at the girl with such tenderness that Piper's heart ached. 

The girl shoved the bottle onto the shelf. Her lips parted at the sight of her soldier. "Leo," she whispered. 

Leo took a deep breath. He had to free her, allow her to move on. He had to free himself, allow her to hear his late goodbye. "Ana, I'm sorry I—" 

Ana ran to him and wrapped her arms around him, embracing him tightly. "Leo! I love you so much. I would never love anyone other than you." 

The feelings rushed back to him. To feel her in his arms again, to smell that scent so uniquely hers. His mind was focused on one thing only. "Ana, I love you more than life. I've never forgotten about you." 

From her place at the other end of the room, Piper felt her knees buckle. This cannot be true. No. She was his soul mate. She was the one whom his soul calls for in each incarnation. This wasn't possible! 

Phoebe sees the pain in her sister's eyes, and suddenly she knew she can never forgive Leo for this. The photograph in her hand falls to the floor as she embraces Piper. 

Leo closed his eyes, relishing the feel of his Ana in his arms again. He opens them to see the three sisters looking at them. The looks of betrayal in the faces of Prue and Phoebe stung. His eyes met Piper's teary ones, and they looked at each other for what seemed like eternity. He knew his eyes proved him guilty, because he apologized to her with a look. 

Ana drew his head down to hers to give him a deep kiss. And the five people in the room forgot about the black and white photograph of Ana and Leo taken that Christmas Eve lying on the floor.   


Leo is once more drawn deep into Ana's thoughts as he look into her eyes. She had such magnificent almond eyes—black, expressive, bottomless. She pulls him to her bed and sits beside him. His eyes wandered off to a side of the room, but there was nothing there. 

"I came only to say goodbye. I have to say goodbye, Ana, and let us both move on." 

Those eyes looked at him in that same wonderful way, full of love and devotion that he found himself wishing he never died. "Stay with me, Leo. There's still so much—" 

"I can't." 

"Nothing's changed!" 

"I died, Ana! Tell me that nothing's changed." 

Ana closes her eyes. When they opened, Leo found himself looking into pools of weariness and pain. She raised her hands and touched his face. "See here, this face I love. It's still the same. Your beautiful eyes. Death didn't change their color." She runs her thumb across his lips. "These fantastic lips are still as soft as before. Death changed nothing. I can still touch you, Leo. Tell me," she lays a palm on his chest. "Did death take away what was in here before you left? You told me you'd always love me." 

"And I always have—will." He noticed Piper's reaction from the corner of his eye. He never wanted her to find out about Ana, which was precisely why he didn't tell her. She didn't have to know. "Come, Ana, you have to sleep." He assisted her as she lay down on the bed. He pulled the covers over her. 

Leo watched as she closed her eyes. He stood up and turned to walk over to where the sisters stood. He knew he had to explain at least. "You won't leave me, will you? Lie beside me? At least I know that I slept with you beside me even once." 

"I'll stay with you, Ana." He climbed in beside her and she snuggled to his warmth. 

Piper walked over to them and stood looking at Leo and Ana on the bed. Leo was looking at her, pleading with his eyes for her to understand. He wouldn't speak to her, and Piper knew he didn't want to scare the girl off. She shook her head at him. Ana wouldn't hear her. "I never will." 

She turned and walked away from Leo, knowing he wouldn't follow, knowing he would stay with Ana for as long as he can. He'd grieved her loss for almost sixty years. Piper couldn't take the truth. The reality had hit her in the face as though it were cold water. She tried to deny what was happening, but the evidence was bare before her eyes. "Get me out of here," she murmured. "Please get me out of here. Get me out of here." 

Before her sisters' eyes, she vanished. "Piper!" 

Prue raised a finger. "It's all right, Phoebe. Remember the spell? It hasn't even been an hour. I'm sure we'll—" The two of them suddenly found themselves standing on a stone bridge. Piper was leaning over the railing, looking at the clear waters below. "Be with her shortly. And voila!" She walked over to Piper and hugs her. "It's okay, honey." 

"What's okay, Prue? The man lied to us all! Piper deserves to feel bad." 

"I'm not taking that away from her, Phoebe. Of course she should feel upset. He did lie. But it was also his choice to keep those private parts of himself from anyone. And we should be able to make the effort to, now that we've seen it, understand him." 

"Him and his Ana?" Phoebe retorted. 

"Yes, Phoebe. Him and Ana." 

Phoebe walked towards the cemented railing and looked at the water. She caught her breath. Pictures flooded her mind. Events passed before her eyes as though a madman pulled at one end of a film reel and forced her to watch. Laughter, whispers, promises played in her ear. She pulled her hands away. The carving was almost fresh. It was a heart pierced by an arrow. How utterly elementary. Phoebe squinted at the initials. AMH. LW. Forever. Were those their times? She was suddenly grieving. Not for Piper. No, Piper will recover. Phoebe grieved for the promise of a beautiful future that was Ana Maria and Leo. Their love held too much prospect to have been killed so abruptly. She guiltily looked back at Piper. 

"I know that they must have loved, Prue. I can see that! But their time is past and it's supposed to be mine now. I'm scared. I'm scared that he'll decide to stay here now that he can and continue with whatever it was between them before he got killed. It wasn't his choice to leave her after all." 

Prue took Piper's hand and squeezed it, lending support. "He won't." 

"Have you seen the way he looks at her?" 

"He looks at you the same way." 

"That's what scares me! If he only looked at other women the same way, I know he'd still be mine, because that's just his way. But he has never looked at anyone the way he looks at her and me."   


Ana opened her eyes to find herself in his arms, and she savored the feel of it. "Hi." 

"Hi." Leo smiled at her. "I've almost forgotten how lovely you are." He saw a look of disappointment cross the delicate features. "No, I was kidding. Your face and your voice is immortalized in my mind." 

"That's romantic. I missed you." 

"I'll miss you." 

"You're really leaving, Leo?" 

"I told you, Ana. I never wanted to, but I didn't have a choice. I'll always love you." 

"This is some sick joke, isn't it? We have the perfect love." 

"The timing just isn't right. We found each other when I was fated to die months later." Leo was worried about Piper. She didn't even give him the time to explain. He had to find her with his mind, so he could at least know how she was. "Ana, love, your bathroom's still where it was in December?" 

"You're dead, Leo," she reasoned. 

"I still have needs," he answered, grinning. When she nodded, he kissed the top of her nose and left the room. 

Dark lights swirled behind her. Soon, the darklighter that Prue sent flying out the window was back, and Ana was alone. "Do you think you can live without him, Ana? Tell yourself the truth. No more pretending to be the brave young woman now. You know you need someone. That's who you are. What happens to you now? No diplomatic father, no caring mother. Not even a lover. What was he up to anyway? He's dead and shows up to show you just what you'll be missing. Wasn't that a bit cruel, don't you think?" 

The wind was against her face, and she couldn't see much of anything. Her sight was blurred by the tears. She knew she had to just let herself slip away. Suddenly she was enfolded in those familiar arms again. This time she sobbed out loud. 

Leo almost had a heart attack when he saw Ana on the ledge in her thin shift. He immediately tackled the darklighter standing behind her. Leo grabbed the darklighter by his neck, and his hands glowed a hot red. The darklighter howled in pain, and immediately orbed out. Seeing that Ana was still on the ledge, he did not bother to go after him, but instead wrapped his arms around her. 

"Shhh. Don't cry, Ana." 

"You're really leaving. I can't live without you." 

He shook his head. "You can. Of course you can. Just live the way you did before you met me." 

"I can't go back. Anyone who's seen heaven won't go back to earth, Leo." 

"I've seen heaven, Ana. But I went back because I wanted to see you. You can go on because you have to. Just promise me right now that you'll never take your own life. No matter how hard you find it to live, never kill yourself." 

She wiped her tears away. 'Don't you want us to be together? If I die now, then we'll live together in heaven." 

"You know that's not true. Since you were a child, you've been told that it's a sin to take your own life. If you commit suicide do you know what will happen? I'll never see you again. You'll not be given a chance to live again. We'll never meet again. Don't take our next chance away from us." Ana is quiet. "Tell me you understand. Promise me you'll do as I say, Ana. That's what I want to hear from you." 

She nods hesitantly. "I promise," she whispered. 

Leo smiled. This was what he needed to hear. He was sent back to keep her safe. Now he was at peace. After all, Ana had the will to live again. He felt a strange energy emanating from his body, the way it did when he saif goodbye to Lillian. He knew he was glowing. "I won't forget you." 

"I won't forget you, Leo." 

"Don't be afraid when I slowly disappear, Ana. It means I'm moving on to heaven. And someday I know we'll meet again—when the time is right. I'll be waiting for you." He slowly begins to fade when he remembered his last wish before he died. "Dance with me, Ana. We've never danced before." 

She smiled tremulously and held her hand to him. He wraps her in his embrace and sways. He was feeling less pressure and warmth from her body, and realized he was almost gone from that plane. 

Ana closed her eyes and savored the hardness of him pressed against her. They will dance for all eternity if she chose. She wanted to freeze the world and leave only the two of them dancing without though to time and space. Too soon he faded away, and she was left holding on to nothingness. The emptiness within her arms was like the toll of a death bell. She crumpled to the floor, sobbing out her heart, her hopes, her dreams.   


Piper opened her eyes and found herself lying on her bed, her sisters sitting on chairs on either side with their heads on the bed, holding her hand. They woke up slowly not long after she did. 

"It was a dream," she thought hopefully. 

Piper did not notice that she said it out loud. She only realized it when Prue answered her. "No, sweetie. I'm afraid not." 

Phoebe tightened her hold on Piper's hand. "I guess you were sent there so you will find out." 

"I can't believe they're that cruel. I was sent there to see just how much he still loves her?" She shook her head. "There must be some other reason." 

Phoebe frowned at her watch. "We were gone for… two hours?! I thought it was a lifetime." 

"Well, after all we were only there to see Ana and the bridge. Something must have happened fast that we were sent back that quickly. Or rather, that Piper was sent back quickly. We were only following her through time after all." 

"I hear the phone ringing. I'll get it downstairs. I'm starving!" Phoebe ran out of Piper's room. A few seconds later she called out, "Piper! It's Leo from P3!" 

Piper raised herself up from the bed and yelled, "I'm not available." She turned to Prue. "I'll be at the attic if anyone needs me." 

"You mean you're still mad at him? What happens now, Piper?" 

She shook her head and left the room. When she was out of earshot, she answered, "I don't know, Prue. I really don't." She climbed the stairs that led to the attic and went directly to the Book of Shadows. 

Leo busied himself at P3 checking on the sound system. After testing it, he tried if all the lights were working. Having done that, Leo went behind the bar and checked on the stocks. Piper won't talk to him. He couldn't blame her. What she saw was something he never planned on telling her. Ever. There was no point in hurting her, but as fate would have it, she had to see his and Ana's reunion. And he hurt for her because he knew she had felt in her trip to the past what he did for Ana. 

Ana… until now he thought of her. He prayed to heaven she lived until her time came naturally. At least then perhaps he'd see her again in some other life. Even though that meant a life without Piper, he only wanted to be with Ana once more. 

And Piper… How he wished she understood. 

_"We had the right love at the wrong time."_

Leo's head raised as he heard the song. 

_"Guess I always knew inside_   
_I wouldn't have you for a long time._   
_Those dreams of yours_   
_Are shining on distant shores._   
_And if they're calling you away_   
_I have no right to make you stay."_

Leo's eyes met Piper's as she stood in the middle of the dance floor. "Dance with me, Leo. We haven't danced for a long while." Leo walked over to Piper and took her gratefully in his arms. For her to choose to dance with him to this, it must mean that she finally understood. 

_"But somewhere down the road_   
_Our roads are gonna cross again._   
_It doesn't really matter when._   
_But somewhere down the road_   
_I know that heart of yours will come to see_   
_That you belong with me."_

He held her in his arms and moved with her. Her arms on his shoulders felt like paradise. He thought he'd lost her, but she finally accepted his past. 

_"Sometimes "goodbyes" are not forever._   
_It doesn't matter if you're gone._   
_I still believe in us together._   
_I understand more than you think I can._   
_You have to go out on your own_   
_So you can find your way back home._

_"And somewhere down the road_   
_Our roads are gonna cross again._   
_It doesn't really matter where._   
_But somewhere down the road_   
_I know that heart of yours will come to see_   
_That you belong with me._

_"Letting go_   
_Is just another way to say_   
_I'll always love you so."_

He thanked Heaven that in this life, he had Piper. And he was again thankful that once, in all those lifetimes, he met Ana. Yes, his life with Ana may have been a stray one. A beautiful stray life. But he will still relish the dream that one morning he would wake up and know that for at least one more time she'd share a life with him. 

_"We had the right love at the wrong time._   
_Maybe we've only just begun._   
_Maybe the best is yet to come._

_'Cause somewhere down the road_   
_Our roads are gonna cross again._   
_It doesn't really matter when._   
_But somewhere down the road_   
_I know that heart of yours will come to see_   
_That you belong with me."_

_I'll love you forever, Ana,_ he thought, _and I'll see again somewhere in time_. "Goodbye, Ana," he whispered. Piper smiled against his shirt as she heard his farewell. _Yes, Leo will see Ana again, over and over in a hundred lifetimes. And Ana will always look forward to seeing him._

Piper remembered the page in the Book of Shadows that told her what she needed to know. _Vanishing_, it headlined. _A person who vanishes in her time is sent back for a while to view a past life that may be in jeopardy. He/she returns to his/her present life only when the past life is safe and secure._

But that wasn't all. What truly gave her peace was the line at the bottom of the page. 

_The soul is without body or form. It is spaceless, timeless, ageless. Endless._


	3. Another Chance at Love

Another Chance at Love -->   
Leo leaned against the doorway of the kitchen and smiled at the sight. Piper was stirring a steaming pot of casserole in front of the stove. She leaned down and opened the oven to test the cake. He felt a hand on his shoulder and he snapped out of his reverie. 

"Someone's checking out the cook." 

Piper turned at the sound of Phoebe's voice. "Hey, it's you two! How long have you been there, Leo?" 

He grinned unabashedly. "A while. I was thinking that the fairy tales of witches stirring the cauldron or leaning at the oven were all wrong. You don't have a crooked nose with a wart on top. And you most definitely don't look scary to me." 

Phoebe shook her head in mock hopelessness. "I know! We should sue the storybook writers. They only show the stereotypical witches. It's almost slander the way they generalize." 

Piper smiled at Leo in invitation. "Come here and taste this," she said, raising up the ladle. 

Leo walked forward and tasted. "It can almost compare to you," he whispered. He kissed her on the lips and they both thought they still had the tang of the food on their lips. 

"Hello!" Phoebe cried. "I'm talking here. I'm still here!" 

"Sorry, Phoebe," Piper apologized, laughing. "What was that?" 

"Never mind!" Phoebe left them alone at the kitchen. 

Leo grinned. Piper frowned. "You think she's mad at us?" After a while she answered herself. "Nah! So you think it needs more spice?" 

"It's fine the way it is. It's your life that needs spicing up." 

"Oh?" She raised an eyebrow. "You think I should call someone to do it for me?" 

He grabbed her by the waist. "No. Lucky you I'm here. I'll help you put your life to rights." He kissed her deeply before pulling away. "Thank you for understanding." 

In the living room, Phoebe flipped on the tv to watch the news. She grimaced at the bulletin. She started surfing. 

Piper touched his face. Sooner or later, he had to know. "Leo, I—" She noticed him suddenly look up. "They're calling you." 

"Yes. Hold that thought. I'll be right back." She nodded and he orbed out. 

Phoebe's eyes widened. She was engrossed at the telenovela on the screen. 

"You don't even understand it, Pheebs." Phoebe held up her hand. Piper got curious. Phoebe doesn't usually get involved with foreign dramas. She sat beside Phoebe. "No!" She shook her head. "That's not true. Turn it off, Phoebe!" Phoebe turned it off. "What are you doing?" Piper grabbed the remoted and flipped it on again. They were both speechless the remainder of the hour. After the show, the credits climbed the screen. 

"He'll never know, Piper." 

"No!" she insisted. "That wasn't her. I know it, Phoebe. There is no possible way." 

A message blinked on the screen. The cast will be touring the States. What luck! They'll be in San Francisco tomorrow. 

Piper couldn't understand it. She was Ana Maria Hidalgo. Who was that impostor arriving the next day? And where was Leo now?   


Leo orbs into the whitelighter council, grinning. 

"There's a certain spring to your orb, young man." The elder who spoke looked askance at the other elders. "Is that even possible?" He chuckled. Leo smiled, noticing that they were in a fine mood today, considering he got called from Piper's embrace. 

"I'm just very happy," he replied. 

"Well, that's good to know. We like our whitelighters happy." Leo wondered at that again. Are these the same elders who kept telling him what was forbidden and what was not? There must be something in the clouds tonight. "Did you remember it was grant-a-wish week for the decade, Leo?" 

It suddenly came back to him. "Oh yeah. It slipped my mind." 

"How could it have? Whitelighters wait for this day for ten years and it simply slipped your mind?" 

Leo grinned. "Seeing as I'm a fulfilled man, maybe I won't be granted anything for 2000." 

The elder shook his head. "There's always something granted." And Leo found out his good mood. "I got my wish today. I had a dream of my childhood. I've almost forgotten about it. Why are you laughing, Theodore? You'd forget yours too if you were two hundred ninety four years old!" 

"Yes, old man. One hundred eighty two is very young!" answered Theodore. Leo was not used to seeing the elders so lighthearted. Theodore turned to Leo. "Don't worry, Leo. I'm sure you have a hidden desire somewhere that'd be granted very soon. What did you wish for the past… how many decades have you been with us?" 

"This is my sixth. I don't exactly remember the gifts. Well, I attended my sister's wedding for 1950. 1960, I think I was promoted. I saw my best friend '70. I can't remember what I got for 1980 but I'm pretty sure I got this week long vacation 1990." 

"Any ideas for this year?" 

Leo shrugged. "I have everything I could ever want. Maybe you'd cut me some slack with my witch." The elders stare at him for long moments, and then they all burst out laughing. Leo stared at the group of dignified old men struggling to breathe in between bursts of hilarity. "What? I thought it was wish week?" 

"It'd take more than wish week for us to throw out the rules, boy!" 

Leo raised his hands in surrender. "Fine! Now just tell me why you called me. I'm sure it's not about my wish." 

"Oh yeah," one of them breathed out. He shook the laughter away, but was still grinning. "You really are a funny one, Wyatt." 

"Stop it already, will you?" 

"He he he. You have an innocent for your witches to save. We're not sure what the problem is exactly. She's not being hurt, but she's always being followed by a demon. Find out what he wants with her." 

"What's her name and where can we find her?" 

The elders look at each other. "Any of you remember?" 

"Sorry, Alfon, I was a little busy with my wish this morning." 

"Why did you ask for a cat anyway? It's just mess up our clouds. I imagine earth won't appreciate the kind of drizzle it'll shower them." Leo looked weirdly at the now irresponsible elders. "I have her name somewhere here." 

The elder stepped down from his platform and hauled a huge Fila sports bag and unzipped it. Leo's eyes widened. One of the other elders noticed Leo's face. "Yeah we saw the other whitelighter with one one time two years ago. It's really very useful. A lot of stuff can be put in there," he commented. Leo swallowed his laughter until he thought he would choke. 

"Here it is," said the elder knelt beside the sports bag. "Hey, lucky you. She's a singer and an actress. Must be lovely. I remember when I was human I had this gorgeous—" 

"Horace!" 

"Right. Her name is Cecilia Madrigal. She'll be in San Francisco tomorrow touring. Now you go back to the Halliwells and have dinner. I know she was cooking when we called." 

"You people are spying on me now?" 

"No, boy! We don't stoop that low. I just… well I can smell it. You have the scent all over you. One thing about that witch, she's one great cook. I have to give that to her. Smells fabulous." 

Leo's forehead creased as he orbed out.   


Phoebe and Piper were glued to the tv screen. The credits rolled so quickly. No Ana Maria Hidalgos. Piper sighed in relief. "Maybe it was something so eerily looking like her." 

The phone rang. Phoebe got up. "Hello. Oh, Johanna Kingston! Hey!" 

Piper stood up. "Phoebe. Phoebe, give it to me." 

"Wait, I'm saying hi! So… really? Well, congratulations, doctor. Yes, yes, I'll see you soon. Here's Piper." 

Piper took the phone and turned her back on Phoebe. "Yeah, yeah, I feel fine. So how did it go?" Piper paused and looked at Phoebe. "I see. Well… I don't know what to say. Yes. Yes. I'll come by of course. Thanks for calling it over. Okay. Bye, Jo." She replaced the receiver on the hook. 

Leo orbed in. "Hi. Is Prue here?" 

"Hey, I didn't think you'd be back so soon." Piper walked forward and kissed him. 

Prue climbed down the stairs. "Dinner ready?" 

"Yes. Go in to the kitchen." 

They all sat and ate in silence. "So… why did they call? No emergencies? Because I have something to ask you." 

"Actually, there's an innocent we have to look for tomorrow. Cecilia Madrigal. What is it?" 

Phoebe almost choked on her food. She made hand signals to Piper, for which she received a glare. "Cecilia Madrigal. Hmmm… Oh nothing. I'll just… ask you after we save her." 

After dinner, Phoebe and Prue were assigned to do the dishes, because Piper prepared the food and Leo helped her shop for the ingredients. Piper and Leo were on their way upstairs when the phone rang. Both Prue and Phoebe ran but Piper beat them to it. When she'd replaced the receiver, she faced the three seriously. "Looks like we won't have much trouble tomorrow, Leo. That was Guillame." 

"That talent manager you hired to get us the shows for P3?" 

Piper nodded. "Yes. He'd booked Cecilia Madrigal for a performance at P3. She's coming to meet us there tomorrow to finalize the program." 

Leo smiled. "Isn't tonight wonderful? That cuts the job in half if she's coming to us." 

Phoebe's and Piper's eyes met. The reckoning was coming earlier than expected.   


The next morning Leo woke up to see that Piper's side of the bed was empty. He reached for his shirt and pants and dressed himself. He didn't know what Piper was thinking, or what she was feeling, but last night was exhilarating. There was an abandonment in her, a frenetic boldness that was so unlike her. He didn't say he didn't like her that way though. 

He grinned and went downstairs. Piper was on the phone. When she saw him, she immediately replaced the receiver on the hook. "Hey, Pipe, isn't it a little early for phone conversation?" 

"Oh, it was just—a friend. Why did you need anything?" 

"Well when I woke up this morning I expected to find you still beside me, sleeping. I would have wanted to wake you up in the most pleasant way you can imagine." He grinned when she blushed. "Are we meeting Cecilia Madrigal this morning." 

"You're coming?" 

"Of course. Piper, what's wrong? Don't you want me to go with you? I have to be there too because she is also assigned to me." 

She shook her head. "No, no, Leo. There's nothing wrong. What time is it? We're meeting her—" 

Prue and Phoebe come running down the stairs. "It's good you two are dressed already! Come on, we'll be late!" 

"But we're not meeting him for about two hours." 

Prue elbows Phoebe. "Tell them." 

"Ummm… I sort of forgot to inform you that I answered the phone last night. Guillame said that Cecilia had a press conference moved so she'll be waiting for us in…" She glanced at her watch. "Approximately thirty minutes." 

"What?" Piper grabbed her purse. "Come on." 

The four of them arrived in P3. Guillame was waiting for them at the bar. "She's back in your office, Piper." 

"Okay, thanks." They stood before her door. Leo turned the knob and stepped in. Phoebe grabbed Piper's hand. Prue entered the office. Cecilia Madrigal had their back to them, and Piper stayed back together with Phoebe. "I can't do this, Phoebe." Phoebe squeezed her hand, and stayed with her outside the door. Phoebe sensed the tension in her sister and she led her to the bar. Guillame had left. She fixed Piper something strong to drink as they waited for the outburst that was sure to follow. 

Leo and Prue were surprised when Piper and Phoebe decided to stay back. "Miss Madrigal," Leo called. 

Cecilia turned at the sound of that voice, so hauntingly familiar. "Leo," she whispered. 

Leo stood frozen as those lovely almond eyes looked back at him. Heaven. She was alive again, just as they promised. And she was standing before him. Her present incarnation looked no different from the way she looked back in the war. His prayers have been answered. They were at that point in time when they met again. "Ana," he breathed. 

Prue's horrified eyes took in the sight before her. The girl they had seen when they went back to the past was standing in the middle of Piper's office, and she and Leo stared at each other as though the other were an oasis and they have starved for decades—which probably they have. 

She suddenly turned inquisitive eyes on Leo. "Forgive me. I don't know where that came from. Is your name Leo? I guess I must be psychic. It just slipped out." She took Leo's proffered hand and shook it. "And how did you know my name was Ana? I didn't think my agent revealed my real name to anyone." 

Prue began chatting with Cecilia as Leo excused himself. His jaw was set as he left the office and went to the bar. Piper downed the shot of whiskey that Phoebe poured for her. Her hands were trembling. Phoebe waited for Leo's anger with bated breath. 

"You knew about this, didn't you?" 

Piper stared down at the empty glass, not bothering to look up at their whitelighter. She couldn't have borne to see the fury in his eyes—fury directed for the first time at her. "I didn't know how to tell you," she replied. "It isn't Ana, Leo." 

"I can't believe how selfish you're being. You have no idea how it felt to have Heaven in your arms and have it snatched from you all of a sudden." 

She finally looked up at him. He was hurting her, not physically, but in a worse way. "I didn't want to lose you." 

Leo didn't like to see the hurt in her eyes, knowing he had caused it. He turned. "Are you going in there? It's your club." 

"No," she answered. "I can't. I can't face her. But you have to believe me. It's not Ana." 

He stopped and replied without facing her. "When she saw me she called me Leo. Slip of the tongue. Now tell me it's not Ana. Did you even see her?" He continued walking towards the office. "I have to go back. It's my job to look after her." He pauses. "The elders reminded me that it was wish week. They said I would soon discover my most fervent wish granted. Maybe, just maybe, this is it." 

Cecilia Madrigal's beautiful head peered out. "Leo! I have something to clear with you about the band." Leo immediately walked forward. 

At the sound of the door closing, Piper squeezed her eyes shut, vainly trying to block out the memory. She felt Phoebe's arms around her. She didn't know when she started. She didn't know the exact moment the first teardrop fell. All she knew was that she was soon shaking and sobbing and Phoebe was cooing, rocking her back and forth. "It's going to be alright, Piper. You'll see. You always get a happy ending," she reassured her. 

But I've never had to compete with the memory of me.   


"Prue, would you look over these for me? Piper's a little busy right now." Prue took the documents and looked over them. "Well, we can handle this set-up, Miss Madrigal. Why are you even bothering yourself with this? You could have asked your agent to meet us for this." 

"Oh no. He knows I don't let anyone else arrange anything for a performance. I want everything to be the way I picture it." She turned back to Leo. "So as I was saying, I had this weird dream of an old church with a huge lawn. The church was huge, the ceilings high. There were stone pillars with plaques. I've never been to anyplace like that before but that picture recurs in my dreams." 

"San Agustin." 

Prue was startled. She looked up from the stage description. Leo was looking at Cecilia in the same way he looked at Ana Hidalgo when they saw him in 1942. She'll have to have a talk with Leo later. He must have no idea what he's doing. He was destroying what he had at present in the vain effort to hold on to a past long gone. She shakes her head and leaves them alone. 

"Hey, honey." Prue moves forward to take her sister in her arms. "What's this? You know he's not going to set you aside for some… actress. You've been together for years. More than that if you count all the past lives you've led." 

"You see, Piper? I told you. He'll come back to you. He was just… a little taken aback seeing Ana again." 

"Phoebe, she's not Ana." 

"Honey—" 

"It's not Ana! I'll show you something from the BOS. Then you'll believe me." 

Her sisters nod. "As soon as we get home. Hey, why don't you go in there? Show Leo you have faith in him. Go there and speak with Cecilia. At least then Leo would know that you trust him to make his own decisions." 

Piper smiled. "All right."   


Leo and Cecilia chuckled. "…so they asked me if I could perform then. I told them as long as the two kept away, I will!" 

"You really are lovely. No exaggeration." 

"Thanks! I had no work done." 

"I know." 

Cecilia raised a brow. "How do you know? Leo, I have the strangest feeling with you. It's like…you're so familiar to me, and I just met you." 

"I can see that." 

She sighs. "You know what else? It's weird so don't laugh. I have this image in my mind of a stone bridge. And a carved heart." 

Leo closed his eyes. When he opened them she was standing so close to her. Just lean a little forward. "It's not something to laugh about," he whispered. He'd waited for this for so long. "Ana." Very softly, very tenderly he laid his lips on hers. He felt a thrill of electricity shoot through his body. 

"Leo." Cecilia slanted her head to take more of his essence. She raised her hands to press his head against hers. Her fingers threaded through his hair. "I love you." 

It hit him. The moment she said those words, he pulled away. He remembered the same words from Piper, and knew at once that he wasn't meant to hear it from anyone else. No, not even Ana. This was a life with Piper. He set her back, meaning to apologize, and felt a cold dread wrap around his heart. Someone was standing at the door. From those lovely black eyes, his shifted to devastated brown ones. "Piper…" 

Piper wrapped her arms around herself. She was prepared to see Leo stare at Cecilia in adoration. She was prepared to hear Cecilia's sweet words. But nothing— nothing in her life had ever prepared her for the sight of Leo locked in a passionate embrace with another. She turned on her heels and grabbed her purse from the bar. She hurried outside. 

"Piper!" Phoebe called out. 

The sisters see Leo run out of the office. "Piper!" He ran after her, but she was already speeding away in her jeep. "Piper!" She never stopped, nor even once looked back.   


Piper wiped away the tears streaking her face. She enters the kitchen and moved mechanically, setting their lunch. One, two, three, four. Of course they would bring Cecilia here. Wasn't she the innocent Leo's been assigned to protect? 

The phone rang and she hurried to answer it. It was Johanna again. "What time? I'm fine. P3. Uhuh. I'm sorry. It slipped my mind. Yeah I'll be there." She put the phone down. She was so happy. Now… now she just felt empty. Now this very thing that she thought was the fulfillment of her dreams seemed more of a liability. 

If Leo could do this thing, be it because of the memory of Ana, what does this say about her, Piper, in this life? Had she regressed so? How could Leo easily relegate her to the back of his mind at the chance of another love with someone who should have been past? Damn it, this was _her _time now! 

Blindly she scrambles to go to the attic. She will drive herself insane with this. She flipped open the Book of Shadows and tore a page out. And then she stopped before the page she had seen before, and thought she would never use. She took twelve candles from one of the drawers and proceeded to create a lighted circle on the floor. 

Piper stepped in the center. "I love you." She closed her eyes and her lips moved, quickly. Over and over she recited the spell, her voice barely above a whisper. _Set me free._ She faltered, having not enough courage to complete the spell. An image of Leo and Cecilia's embrace flashed through her mind. She felt the candles around her, creating a heated circle around her. _Off I go, send me out to this ancient space. _ No…why am I doing this? _Where all is good and none exists but me. Take my spirit to this ancient Druid place. _ She couldn't breathe. The heat had risen and she struggled for air. _ To Whispering Glen, set me free._

Her lids and limbs were heavy. She felt oddly out of place in the room. Her hand held tightly to the folded paper in her hand. Her eyes closed, for the last time she realized, and she knew that the spell had worked. As she felt herself falling down, she smiled. No more of this numbing agony… 

Prue drove them all home, with Phoebe sitting beside her and Leo and Cecilia at the backseat. Noone spoke, and Leo felt that it was the longest ride of his life. He wanted to orb to the manor, to see for himself that Piper was there, so he could speak to her and explain. 

"She's not here, Prue!" Phoebe cried. 

"That's impossible." She moved her hand and the door opened. They could see the jeep parked. "Her car's just outside. Did you check in her room?" 

"I did. No one been there. Leo, did you find her?" 

Leo opened his eyes. "She won't tell me where she is. Either she's unconscious or she doesn't want to be found, and she's blocking me." 

A blue light appeared near them, and a figure of a man materialized. "Leo! Just the angel I was looking for." 

"What is it, Grant? I've no time." 

The other whitelighter shrugged. "I'm sure you don't. I just wanted to congratulate you for getting the wish. I'm sure you're pretty happy and will be celebrating for some time." 

"What are you talking about?" 

"Come on, Leo. Don't be so modest. I know you've been granted the wish—the biggest one ever, if I may say so myself. What were the elders exact words? He will soon be reunited with his soul mate and raising a family with her. I'm going now. They're calling." Grant orbed out. Leo fell silent, digesting his words. Did he mean this—that he would see Ana once more? Why did he feel so unfulfilled then? Why was he suddenly dreading what should have made him happy? 

Cecilia looked at them all with wonder. "What are you people?" 

"We have no time to explain," Prue snapped. She fished for her phone and dialed Piper's cellphone. They heard a distinct ring and Phoebe followed the succeeding ones. 

"Guys… you gotta see this. Piper was just here." They all go to the kitchen where they see a table neatly set for four, with the food still warm on the stove. Piper's phone, together with her car keys lay beside the pitcher of orange juice. Phoebe moved to take Piper's phone, when she was gripped by a premonition. 

I> Piper stood at the center of a ring of candles as she chanted a spell that Phoebe had never heard of before. She was crying. Heat rose up and the flames of the candles seemed to flare more brightly. Piper seemed to fall into another level of consciousness as her eyes closed. And then she fell, hitting her head on the floor. She lay there, so still, her hair spread like a fan around her head. /I> 

Phoebe gasped. "What is it, Phoebe? Did you see her?" 

"She's—in the attic!" Leo orbed out before either Prue or Phoebe could move. "Stay here, Cecilia!" 

"No! Let her come with us. She's still our responsibility," Prue insisted. The three girls ran up the two flights of stairs. 

Leo knelt beside Piper, feeling her wrist for a pulse when Prue, Phoebe and Cecilia burst in. "I can't wake her." 

Phoebe rushed beside him and shook Piper. "Honey, what was the spell? Damn it! Where did she find it?" She spots the Book of Shadows open at the back portion. They never look for anything at that part of the book. It was full of—"No," she gasped, disbelieving. 

"What is it, Phoebe?" 

Phoebe stared down hard at the page. "It's on the page of Spell for Freedom. Prue, Piper's gone to Whispering Glen." 

Leo held Piper in his arms. "Whispering Glen?" 

Prue was frantic. "Dammit! This is insane. Leo, take Piper to her room while Phoebe and I figure this out." 

Leo stood up. He'd carried Piper before, but this time fear clawed at him. She lay limply in his arms, her head hanging from the crook of his elbow. Even her lips were so pale. If he didn't see the shallow rise and fall of her breasts, he would have thought her dead. 

"Whispering Glen… What is that? What's happening to her?" His heart raced when he noticed Phoebe surreptitiously wipe away a tear. They won't answer him. Why won't they answer him? "Tell me!" 

Phoebe bit her lip and looked him in the eye. "Whispering Glen. It's an ancient Druid place where witches go to escape. I thought it was a legend. Obviously it's not." 

"She'll be back." 

Phoebe shook her head. "Leo, once you step into Whispering Glen, you're lost. It is an escape. And to the ancient Druids, the ultimate freedom lies in death." 

"What?" 

Phoebe read the handwritten text carefully. "Piper is stuck there, with no way of returning here. The body-" her voice broke. "The body is as good as gone." 

Cecilia stepped forward and peered at Piper. "What are you talking about? Will someone please tell me what's going on!" 

"Leo, please take Piper to her room while Phoebe and I try to look for some sort of solution. Cecilia, just—are you okay?" 

"Are you kidding? This is just like one of the movies I starred in. A World War II flick. Hold a minute…I never made a war movie. Where did that come from?" 

Leo was on the way out the door with Piper when he heard her. He stopped stock still and turned around to look at Cecilia. She smiled at him. He looked straight into her eyes before turning back around and proceeding to take Piper to her room. 

"What now, Phoebe?" 

"I don't know." She read the page again. "There's nothing here about calling spirits back from the glen." 

"I think I remember reading something about Whispering Glen once," Cecilia said, and the two looked at her expectantly. "Ummm… well, oh, this is so weird. It's actually real life." 

"Just spill, Cecilia!" 

"Fine… fine. Well, I went out with a scriptwriter once and he did a research on Anglo-Saxon England. I think he told me about a legendary place called Whispering Glen." 

"How do we get her back?" 

She shrugged. "Well, she obviously can't come back on her own. Because she's already free. And that ultimate freedom means freedom from pain, from problems…" 

"From earth," Phoebe continued. "Here it is." She points to a certain passage on the book. "Which means she is totally separate from this realm now. Whatever we do here will not affect her." 

Leo sat at the edge of the bed, touching her cheek. "This was a stupid idea, Piper. How could you have just decided something like this at the snap of your fingers? But don't worry. We'll figure something out. We'll have you back soon. I promise." He turned at the sound of Phoebe, Prue and Cecilia arriving. "What did you find out?" 

"We have no way of calling her back, Leo." 

"Then-" 

"We let her go." She winced as Leo set his jaw and shook his head. "We have no choice! There isn't a way for us to call her back." 

Piper's phone rang and Phoebe hurriedly answered it. "Hello. No, it's Phoebe. Ummm… yes. What? Why?" Phoebe glanced up at Leo. "Oh. I see. Okay. Yeah. Thanks." 

"It's simple. If there's nothing in the book that can take her to us, then I'll go and fetch her." 

"How?" 

"It's wish week. The elders owe me a wish. I'll ask to be sent to her so I can convince her to come back. After all, this was my fault." 

Cecilia grabbed his sleeve. "But you already had something granted. Don't you remember, Leo? I was given back to you." 

Leo looked down at that face, a face he'd dreamed of for decades. He listened to her voice—one he'd repeated over and over in his mind for half a century. He tried to recall to mind everything they shared, but strangely enough, he could only see emptiness in Cecilia's eyes, when once he drowned in them as Ana's. Where once he'd have felt the warmth of her body so near his, all he could think about was the frightening limpness of Piper's hand against his. 

"No. I didn't ask for this. I'm sure they'll give me another wish." 

"Leo." He didn't turn to Phoebe. He was absorbed watching the rise and fall of Piper's breasts. It assured him that she was alive, for now. "It was Johanna on the phone. Piper missed an appointment with her." 

Prue tried to recall where she'd heard the name before. "Johanna. Piper's friend from high school?" 

"She's a doctor now. Piper had an appointment to see her. She—Johanna wanted to remind her to stay off the alcohol, because it was bad for the baby." Leo's eyes snapped to Phoebe. "The elders have granted you the wish. You can't ask for another. It wasn't Cecilia. It was Piper you were given a chance with." 

Leo shook his head. "I'll speak with them." He orbed out and the girls waited fretfully for him. About half an hour later, Leo arrived with a piece of rune in his hand. "A second chance. This is it." 

"What is it?" 

"My passport in and out of Whispering Glen. As long as I have it, I don't lose touch with this plane. If I can convince Piper to come back with me, then I know we'll make it through." 

Cecilia shook her head. "The danger. Listen to me, Leo. Maybe this is what was supposed to happen," she cried frantically. "Maybe she's supposed to die today! It's fate. So what if she's pregnant? That doesn't tell you that she's the one the other man spoke about. I was the one you've been dreaming of for half a century dammit!" 

Leo held Cecilia firmly away from him. "I'm sorry, Cecilia. Even if you are Ana, I find myself knowing that this life is for Piper. Out life together was beautiful and yes, it could have ended better. We could have had more time together. But that beautiful life was a stray one, and I'd always cherish it as a beautiful rarity. But heaven knows that my heart, my very soul, has always belonged and will always belong to that girl lying there. And I put her there because I didn't realize it before. I'm thankful we shared at least those months together, but my eternity is hers. Hers alone." 

Cecilia shook her head. Tears fell down her eyes as Leo grasped the rune stone firmly in his hand and vanished. "I'm going to die!" 

Phoebe looked coldly at Cecilia. "Don't overreact!" 

"Seriously!" 

At that moment a man in black cloak materialized beside her. He grabbed her by the neck and began to squeeze. "I give you everything you will ever need. I gave you her face, her voice, her body, her memories to use and manipulate but still you fail!" 

Prue watched as Cecilia choked and struggled. She was working for a demon! Her sister was lying there, nearer death than life, and it wasn't even the real Ana who was taking Leo away. She moved forward. 

"No! Don't help her. She's the cause of all this." 

And then Prue's mind cleared. Phoebe was too emotional, too involved. This was a matter of protecting the innocent and as far as she knew, Cecilia had been used. "No, Phoebe. We do our job. The Founders have said that Cecilia was our innocent, and so she must be." 

Phoebe ran upstairs to take a spell from the Book of Shadows. She was surprised that the book was open at the very picture of the demon. Prue meanwhile threw the demon away from Cecilia, who collapsed on the floor, gasping for breath. Together they vanquished the demon. 

"Are you all right?" 

Cecilia gasped. "Yeah. I am now. I'm sorry." 

"You were an instrument." 

"Yes. I was so afraid. I'm sorry for the trouble I caused. Do you know how we can tell Leo to go back here?" 

"Why?" 

"Because your sister is in Whispering Glen. He'll never be able to just go there and convince her that he's sorry and that she has to come home." 

"Why is that?" 

-- 

Leo looked around the beautiful valley known as Whispering Glen. There were beautiful crystal springs at corners and laughing brooks. He smiled as he held on tightly to the stone. That's why so many are lost in this beautiful place. The plants were varied. He knew that this was a tropical forest setting. Suddenly, as though the realm pinpointed an intruder, the bright sun was eclipsed by thick clouds. And then the air was still. Strange sounds came from the top of the trees. I> Whispers. The whispers of Whispering Glen. They can drive you insane They help you forget. /I> 

He looked at the stone in his hand. Without this, he would have fallen to the enchantment of the place already. Where was Piper? 

And then he saw her, sitting on a boulder by the side of the brook, holding a full stem of orchids. She was laughing at the antics of several people bathing a few feet away. Leo's legs quickened as he walked towards her. He stood so near her, and it was all he could do not to embrace her, because here, she was blossoming, alive and beautiful again. 

"Piper." 

She turned her face to him and smiled. There was an orchid tucked at her ear. "Excuse me. Why do you call me that? Who are you?" His heart froze as he stared into those clear brown eyes that looked to him as though he were a stranger.   


"Piper, it's me. Leo." 

She looked at him strangely and shook her head with a smile. "I'm sorry I don't recognize you." Her gaze shifted to the group of young women in the water and she waved at them. "You must be new here. Or maybe you've been away because… well… I'm new." She grinned as she saw them spraying water at each other. 

"Piper, don't look at them. Look at me. We haven't got much time. You have to go back." 

"Go back? Where? What are you talking about?" 

"Piper, this is not your home. You don't belong here." 

"I know that." 

"Then think about where you're from and go back." 

She gave him a small smile and jumped down. "I'm sorry I can't help you. Please leave me alone." She turned and began to walk swiftly away. 

I> Freedom in Whispering Glen. It's an escape from everything. /I> Of course she would not remember. She's free from memories, because memories were painful. 

"Piper, listen to me. Please. Don't go away. I need you to listen," he called out. "Please, Piper. I didn't come all the way here so you can walk away from me!" 

Very slowly, she turned around to look at him. "You came from where I was from?" 

"We need you home." 

She stared at him. The air picked up, and her eyes went to his hair the breeze caressed it. He looked so alone, lost. "But this is a beautiful place." 

"So is home. You have sisters there. You have a life. You have…" He walked towards her until he was not even a whole foot away from her. His hand grazed her jaw. "You have me." 

She shook her head and stepped back. "I- I can't go back. I don't want to go back. Please. There must be a reason why I left. And besides… I can't go back. I don't know this place you're talking about." 

Leo knew he was losing her. Once she was in those woods, he'd never find her again. This was his second chance. It was also his last. "I can make you remember." 

"What?" 

"Don't you want to remember? Can you go on with your life here with an empty past? Don't you want to be able to look back at your sisters, at your life in the home you loved so much?" 

She wet her lips. "If- if my life were as wonderful as you claim, then why did I leave?" 

Leo held out his hands. "Put your hands in mine, Piper, and you'll find out everything. Risk this freedom for memories." She looked into his eyes and very slowly she raised her hands. "Do it, Piper." Just before her skin touched his, he took his hands away. "But first give me a kiss." He knew that once the memories flooded back, Piper would recall everything. When she remembered, she will feel the same pain she felt when she saw him with Cecilia. He had to feel her against him just one more time. 

Piper seemed unsure. After all, he was a stranger to her. But he woke up something in her that she was sure she felt only for someone very special. Her lips parted and her arms lifted to rest on his shoulders. She leaned her head and his dipped to catch her lips. Her eyelids fluttered close. 

It was the touch of a butterfly's wings against her lips. At that moment she knew she had to come home if only to experience this every single day of her life. She opened her eyes to see him looking down at her. 

She smiled. "I'll come home," she whispered. "Make me remember everything so I can picture home in my mind. I want to return." 

Why did he look sad when he held up his hands to receive hers? She gasped at the feeling. The moment her skin touched his, images, sounds, emotions rushed to her, flooding her mind. She remembered every scent and every sound from her earliest memory of cuddling with her mother to her last casting of the spell that took her here. 

Leo watched the play of emotions on her face. He waited with bated breath, holding her hands, until she opened her eyes. When she did, he had hoped to find pain-filled one looking at him. He was prepared to answer the condemnation there, the anger. But he was taken aback by the frigid coldness that he met. 

She pulled her hands away from his and stepped back. "I'm never coming back," she whispered. "Damn you, Leo. Damn you for not leaving me alone. Damn you for making me remember!"   


"Please come home, Piper. We need you." 

She wiped away the tears streaking her face. "Get away from me! Go back there! Just get away!" 

"Piper, Phoebe and Prue need you." 

"And I need them. But I can't live there. Not when you're there. I thought I've escaped, but you just had to go and destroy everything, didn't you?" 

"Come home, Piper. What you saw was just a foolish mistake I made. I can never apologize enough for it. But I know now that even if Cecilia were Ana, you're still the one I love. This stone can take us back. It's what took me here. It's kept me from getting lost in the whispers. It's our way out. You must have felt its power when you placed your hand on mine. Please come back to me, Piper." 

"All my life I've waited for you, Leo. My perfect man. And then you came and I built my whole life around you. You destroyed every foundation when you did what you did. The future I wanted… It's gone." 

"Just come home. I promise I'll make everything right." 

"No. I've nothing to live for there anymore." 

Leo closed his eyes. When he opened them she was right where she was when he closed them. She hadn't moved a bit. He moved closer to her, and he was hurt when she winced. He took her hand and placed the rune stone in her palm. 

"What are you doing? You can't lose this, Leo! You're going to die here!" 

"If this is how you've chosen to go, then this is how I choose to go too." 

"I don't understand! Go back, Leo. You're free to do as you will now. Don't throw your life away like this! Take it back!" 

He shook his head sadly. "If you die here, Piper, I die here too. With you gone, I'd have nothing left to live for either." 

Piper's eyes widen as the stone began to emit a strange heat. Of course, it was not in the hand of the person it escorted to Whispering Glen. Her eyes snapped to Leo. He was facing her, begging her to understand. Her gaze shifted to the glowing stone in her hand. Suddenly she knew what she had to do. Piper ignored the pain of the burning stone against her palm as she ran to Leo.   


"Prue…" Phoebe called. "Prue!" 

Prue ran to the room and saw Phoebe sitting beside Piper. "Why, what happened?" 

"I think Piper's waking up." Piper's eyes fluttered open. "Hey honey, how do you feel?" 

"I'm fine, Phoebe. Hi, Prue." 

Prue looked around. "Where's Leo?" 

Leo materialized beside her. "Piper—" 

Piper shook her head. "Leave me be, Leo. For once, just let me be." She turned in the bed and presented her back to them. 

"Watch over Cecilia for me." 

"The demon after her is gone. You don't have to worry anymore, Leo." 

Leo nodded and he orbed out. 

"Piper…" 

"I need to think. Could you guys please close the door on your way out?" 

She waited for the sound of the door closing before sitting up. Her palm was still hurting, although the burn did not occur physically. She opened her hand and saw the folded page from the Book of Shadows still there. 

-- 

Three nights later, P3 was jampacked with people who were waiting for Cecilia to perform. She performed the crossover album that sky rocketed her to stardom. Leo stood in the shadows, saying goodbye to his image of Ana Maria. It was time to finally bid her farewell. It didn't matter if Piper took him back or not, the rest of his life was only devoted to her. It may be archaic, but she owned him. 

"I received a very special request from a friend of mine. You know Piper Halliwell, right? Good. She owns the place. So kids, let's move to the sidelines for a bit, ok? Good." 

P3 was suddenly filled with the haunting melody. Cecilia sang the song as Piper's request. 

I> We had the right love at the wrong time /I>   
I> Guess I always knew inside /I>   
I> I wouldn't have you for a long time /I> 

Piper stepped into the middle of the dance floor and looked directly at Leo. He stepped forward, unable to believe that she forgave him. 

I> But somewhere down the road/I>   
I> Our roads are gonna cross again/I>   
I> It doesn't really matter when/I> 

"You forgive me now?" he asked hoarsely.   
"Shhh… listen." 

I> I understand more than you think I can/I>   
I> You have to go out on your own/I>   
I> So you can find your way back home/I> 

"I love you so much."   
Piper closed her eyes and leaned her head against his chest, not answering him, just swaying to the melody. 

Letting go   
I> Is just another way to say   
I> I'll always love you so 

Leo tightened his hold on Piper. He'd thought that he had blown his second chance, that he'd lost her forever. But here she was, requesting the song she played when she found out about Ana, when she forgave him for loving her. 

_'Cause somewhere down the road_   
_Our roads are gonna cross again_   
_It doesn't really matter when_   
_But somewhere down the road_   
_I know that heart of yours will come to see_   
_That you belong with me_

"I belong to you, Piper. I know that now. Maybe I've always known it. I was just…too afraid to let go of the past. Maybe I thought if I forgot Ana, I'd be lost in you. But I already am. And it feels good." 

The crowd applauded Cecilia's performance and Piper pulled Leo away to her office. 

"I have something to show you. Actually… two things." 

Leo waited. She handed him a folded piece of paper. Leo slowly unfolded it. He burst into a wide smile. "Thank you, Piper." 

"You're not surprised?" she asked, disappointed. 

"The Founders let it spill during wish week." 

"Ugh!" She handed him another piece of paper, the torn page in the Book of Shadows. "Oh well, I think this may be the reaction I'm really looking for." 

Leo took the paper curiously. He unfolded it. 

"I found it after we got home from seeing Ana in 1942." 

_The soul is without body or form. It is spaceless, timeless, ageless. Endless._

Leo read about the piece on vanishing. 

"Nooooo…." 

"Yes." 

"No." Leo fell back against the chair and stared at the paper in his mind. A few minutes later, he looked up at Piper. "All these years." He held out his hands. "Come here," he said roughly. 

Piper sat on his lap and leaned her head on his shoulder. He wrapped his arms around her and kissed her forehead. He touched her belly, where his baby was already sleeping. 

"You have an appointment to see Johanna tomorrow morning," he whispered. 

EPILOGUE 

"Happy birthday, Mel!" 

A huge box was rolled into the house. "Let's open it, Aunt Phoebe!" 

Phoebe and Melinda began tearing the paper wrapper. 

"It's a dresser of stuffed animals. And it's full," Prue commented wryly. "Well, there goes the giraffe I got her."   
Leo laughed. "Who's it from?" 

"Hmmm... what's this?" Phoebe drew out the brown envelope inserted at the glass window of the dresser. "A college plan!" 

Piper drew out of Leo's embrace to take the envelope from Phoebe. "From your most beautiful aunt." 

Phoebe gasped. "I'm gonna kill Cecilia!" 

"Just because she's got the highest paying job, that doesn't mean she's the prettiest!" 

"You're right, Prue!" 

Piper went back to Leo. She drew out her phone and dialed. "You can't keep doing this, Ces! And did you get the stock certificate we sent back to you? I'm telling you, a five year old girl has no business getting a stock certificate on her birthday!" Piper continued chatting with Cecilia on the phone as she leaned against _her_ Leo.


End file.
